Over the past three years, I've experimented with the keto diet. It's fashionable right now, a fact that's helped me stay consistent. My grocery store stocks a variety of keto-friendly options, which is fantastic.
Alison and I first switched over because we were looking to do something different. I wanted an eating plan that would make menu planning easier. With fewer food options, we could benefit from focus. I learned that a strict keto diet is the single lifestyle factor that consistently delivers me more migraine-free days.
There are stages that the body goes through when on the keto diet. The first two weeks are like a brick wall, as all sugar stores burn up and the body transitions into ketosis, where fat is the body's energy source. Sometimes this transition is known as the keto-flu, and it isn't fun.
The deeper into the diet I get, the less I eat. I'm less hungry and fill up easier. My tastes change, and the richness of food comes through. Black or dark roasted coffee becomes a true delight.
At some point, when I'm deep into keto, I get tempted to quit. It may be a tray of Christmas cookies or just the smell of Chick-fil-A waffle fries. Whatever the temptation, I'm always amazed at how effective it is at getting me to break keto. I can see my enhanced energy levels and the easily beatable migraines. I know how hard I've worked and the pain I'll go through to start over again, but I break anyway.
Why do I keep quitting?
It's the same reason I sin, and it's the same reason I don't stick to my prayer routine. The grass always looks greener on the other side, but it never is.
I no longer look at keto as a diet but as a cycle. Like my life, I'm always in motion. I'm drifting further into the diet or further out of it. The goal is to spend more time in keto for more extended periods in each cycle.
The goal of holiness isn't perfection. The goal is to live as perfectly as possible, contending with and overcoming your faults through grace.
When I break keto, I always gain a few pounds, but I never get back to the very beginning. The same is true for the spiritual life. Sin sets us back; it doesn't reset the clock. Hard work reaps benefits, so keep doing the hard work.
